Board games
How to play Go
Surround with stones,
win by territory.
Black and White take turns placing stones on the points of the board and compete for the larger territory. The one rule: surround stones and you capture them. On the small 9×9 board a game takes about fifteen minutes, so even beginners can play one to the end. Playable on PC.
No sign-up, nothing to install. Enter a name and you're at the table. No opponent? Play the CPU right away.
- Count
- 2
- Play time
- 15-30 min
- Ages
- 8+
- Equipment
- A 9×9 (or 13×13) Go board, black and white stones
What is Go?
Go was born in China more than two thousand years ago and has been played in Japan for over a thousand. Black and White take turns placing one stone at a time on the points where the lines cross. Surround your opponent's stones and you capture them; at the end, the size of the territory you have enclosed decides the game. The full game uses a 19×19 board, but at Kirakuken we play on 9×9 (13×13 is also available) so a game stays short. Scoring follows the Japanese rules (territory plus captures), and because Black moves first, White gets a komi of 6.5 points.
Playing Go at Kirakuken
- The same kaya board, clamshell and slate stones as Gomoku; at night it follows the shop's lights
- Captured stones (prisoners) are piled on the bowl lid
- At the end the shop marks dead stones; both players fix them and press "Done" to count
- Three CPU strengths. Undo is available against the CPU
Rules of Go
These rules always apply at our tables.
- Start
- the board is empty. Black plays first, then the players alternate, placing one stone at a time on a point. Stones never move once placed.
- Capture
- when every empty point next to a stone (its liberties, up, down, left and right) is filled by the opponent, the stone is removed. Connected stones form one group and are captured together. Captured stones are called prisoners.
- Forbidden moves
- you may not play where your stone would have no liberties, unless it captures something.
- Ko
- right after a single stone is captured, you may not immediately recapture it to restore the shape. Play elsewhere once, then you may.
- End
- when there is nowhere useful to play, "Pass". Two passes in a row end the game. The shop marks dead stones (stones that can only be captured); correct any wrong marks by clicking stones, and when both players press "Done" the score is counted.
- Counting
- add the empty points enclosed by your stones (territory), your prisoners and the dead stones you captured; White also adds komi of 6.5. The higher total wins.
Optional rules
You choose these when opening a table.
- Board size
- 9×9 by default. Choose 13×13 under "Details" when opening a table.
- Handicap
- when players differ in strength, Black can start with 2 to 5 stones on the star points ("Details"). In a handicap game White moves first and there is no komi.
FAQ
- How many players can play Go?
- 2 players. If you're short of players, the host can add CPU players, so you can start a table on your own.
- What age is Go suitable for?
- We suggest 8+. There's no age check, so treat it as a guide.
- Does it cost anything?
- Nothing at all. No account and no app to install: enter a name and you're straight in.
- How long does a game take?
- About 15-30 min.
- Can I play on a smartphone?
- Not yet. Go is played in a PC browser. On a smartphone you can open this rules page and the shop's menu, but not the game itself.
- How do I invite friends?
- Open a table and press "Invite link" to get its URL. Anyone you send it to comes straight to your table.
Done reading? Take a seat.
Last updated: 2026-11-03